Match Report

Bridgend 24 Swansea 0

Swansea were outplayed by a determined Bridgend side, who ran in three tries and kept the visitors to nil points.

It was the All Whites who started brightly though when lock Sam Kiley made a line break up to the twenty-two, but scrum half Tom Ham tried to force a pass to flanker Jon Vaughan, who lost possession forward.

Flanker Zac O’Driscoll rose high to take a lineout and the Swansea forwards were penalised for driving in at the side of a ruck. Fly half Ryan Evans kicked his side ahead with a three pointer.

Prop Rhodri Apsee took a pass in midfield and drove up to the twenty-two and winger Ben Cambriani thought he had intercepted a pass, but play was brought back for offside. Evans kicked to the corner, but Kiley stole the lineout.

Flanker Adam O’Driscoll and scrum half Chris Williams both probed the Whites’ defence, before the backs spread the ball out wide for winger Joseph Gatt to score in the corner. Evans converted.

Full back Luke Griffiths made a mess of clearance as he stepped into touch and it almost cost the visitors dearly, but Gatt had a try disallowed for a forward pass.

Hooker Gareth Harvey superbly intercepted the ball at a lineout to set his side on another attack. Lock Shaun O’Rourke showed great handling skills as the Ravens inched towards the line, but fellow second row Chris John lost possession.

Harvey again showed great strength to burst up to the twenty-two and he was supported by centre Nathan Edwards, but full back Jonny Phillips dropped a pass close to the try line.

The Ravens grabbed their second try in style when an Evans high kick to the corner was well collected by Gatt, who sent Phillips through to score. Evans converted.

Moments before half time Ham raced up to the Bridgend twenty-two after beating two tackles, but support was too slow to arrive and he was penalised for holding on after the tackle.

Half-time:- Bridgend 17 Swansea 0

Harvey failed to throw five metres from a lineout near his own line, gifting the visitors a free kick, but a handling error brought a premature end to the attack.

The one way traffic continued when Williams intercepted a loose pass by replacement fly half Jacob Clement and found centre Stuart Floyd-Ellis, who raced clear from half way to score. Evans converted.

Cambriani danced past a couple of tackles and O’Rourke cynically tripped him up, which earned him an inevitable yellow card.

Swansea attacked down the wing, but Evans intercepted a loose pass and sprinted downfield, only to run out of steam as the visitors scrambled back to defend.

A Ravens scrum powered forward and replacement centre Jamie Murphy linked up with substitute scrum half Connor Tantum to gain territory inside the twenty-two, but Zac O’Driscoll dropped a difficult pass out wide with the line at his mercy.

A succession of five metres scrums on the Swansea line resulted in penalties as the home side camped on the Whites’ line, but replacement prop Owen Jordan held on after the tackle.

Substitute prop Fenton Holden was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, giving the Ravens one last chance to claim a bonus point with a close range lineout, but a forward pass ended the move.

Both sides face respective trips to Llanelli in their next matches over the next couple of weeks.